Corporation Arms Public House

Cadw's description

Location

Located in a block of buildings fronting Castle Street

History

C17 or earlier. At previous survey, it contained an original C17 staircase with stout turned balusters, the ground floor below street level. Council meetings are said to have taken place here before 1666. The front was remodelled in the later C19.

Exterior

Asymmetrical 3-window building of 2-and-a-half storeys, including a projecting hipped-roofed bay to R. The upper storeys are stuccoed and lined under a shallow slate roof; clustered brick ridge stack to centre, brick end stack to L. The ground floor has a late C19 projecting public house front with flat roof. Classical-style detail including moulded eaves cornice and plat band; the upper storey windows have moulded architraves with keystones and aprons, those to 1st floor under segmental hoodmoulds with hornless 12-pane sashes; that to centre is converted to a doorway with C20 half-glazed wooden door. Attic has half-dormers with coped segmental heads between pinnacles with orb finials; windows have architraves with stepped heads containing 3-over-6-pane sashes. Scrolled ironwork bracket for attachment of sign, to R-hand bay. Ground floor projection is timber-framed under a flat roof, with window bands; rendered plinth. Central doorway, blind arch immediately to its L, and further entrance to far L, all between fluted pilasters with scrolled capitals, which support a fascia and dentilled cornice. Central entrance has panelled door with plain overlight under a segmental head, with narrow sidelights; to its L, round-arched wooden panel bearing a tablet. To far L, inset doorway, possibly leading to a through-passage, with double boarded doors with small-pane overlight. The windows have narrow moulded mullions and transoms, with quarry glazing and Art Nouveau-style stained glass. To L of central doorway, 2 x 2-light windows divided by a colonette. To R of entrance, 3 similar windows divided by colonettes, the L and central windows boarded over beneath the transom.

Interior

Interior not seen.

Reason for designation

Listed as a town-house with early origins and intact C19 public house frontage retaining definite architectural character. Group value with surrounding listed buildings in Castle Street.